Chapter 185
Chapter 185
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 185
Chapter Title: Tribute - 4
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Nix was peeking at us even more cautiously than usual. He already had low self-esteem, and with Lize shooting him a near-murderous glare from the side, he seemed to shrink even further.
“The captains weren’t showing up, so... someone suggested one of us should go check...”
“You’re saying I didn’t show, so you decided to check? My kids wouldn’t have done that, would they?”
“What?”
I turned my head, and Lize realized she’d let it slip, hastily sheathing her dagger and averting her eyes. Her words just now carried absolute certainty that her own squad wouldn’t have.
That certainty meant she’d laid some groundwork in advance. She’d probably tipped them off about her plan ahead of time. She’d really come prepared.
Even if I hadn’t brought her to the warehouse, she definitely would’ve lured me somewhere secluded. I was sure of it from what she’d just said.
“...Lize, we’ll talk separately later. Anyway, keep going.”
“The Ebony Nocturnal Knights were fine waiting a few hours, but... I couldn’t hold back my curiosity... hehe.”
“Your squad’s the same as mine?”
“......”
The impact of delaying our return by a full day—just to have one last romp with Lize on the way back from the palace—must’ve been too much.
While I was inwardly baffled, Nix fidgeted with his fingers in front of his chest and continued haltingly, wearing a creepy smile.
“We got to the warehouse, and I heard weird noises from inside, so I climbed up to peep... hehe. But the ceiling was weaker than I thought, and...”
“What? You were peeping on us?”
Lize furrowed her brow slightly, clearly displeased. Nix let out a squeak and trembled at the sight.
From the way he talked normally, he seemed like he’d be fine with outdoor exposure, but apparently not. Even for Lize, she didn’t have a taste for showing off to outsiders.
Come to think of it, I didn’t like outdoor play either. The limit for me psychologically was something like showing off to a nearby woman, like with Aurora.
“Where from?”
“Uh... c-can I tell you?”
“I won’t hit you, so spill.”
“F-from the part where you pulled down the knight order uniform pants you were wearing.”
It hit me again that these dolphin pants counted as uniform.
I glanced at the blue dolphin pants Lize wore—exaggerating a bit, they were barely longer than a thong. It was like she was wearing them to expose her hips and crotch rather than cover them.
One knight order’s uniform was a white tank top and dolphin pants, another’s was a sports bra and leggings, and the last was bunny girl outfits or reverse bunnies. What a country.
“So you’re saying you saw everything from the start. Why beat around the bush?”
Her voice was icy toward Nix—total opposite of how she spoke to me—and Lize clicked her tongue. She straightened the slightly rolled rubber waistband of her dolphin pants.
It didn’t help much since the tank top was so short, leaving her abs and side bare.
Lize’s mood seemed to sour again, so I traced a finger along the dimpled valley of her spine.
“Eek?! What?”
As expected, Lize jolted in surprise and spun around. Her eyes narrowed like she was interrogating me. I grinned slyly and met her gaze calmly.
“Sorry. My hand moved on its own. It looked too tempting.”
“......If you’re gonna grope, say so first. If you’re gonna do it without asking, at least go for the chest or ass. Pervert. Why touch there?”
Chest and ass were fine, but not the back? Her grumbling missed the point a little, but it made further grilling awkward, so she huffed and puffed out her cheeks.
“The kids are waiting at the training grounds, so let’s get out quick.”
Lize obeyed readily. Her blue eyes flicked to Nix, meaning she didn’t want to do it in front of an outsider. The warehouse door opened again.
On the way out, she shot Nix a piercing glare as a bonus. Nix hiccuped softly under the venomous stare.
Nix trailed after us hesitantly. As I was about to exit last, thunk! Something hard caught my toe.
I looked down where the sound came from. A large wooden block had rolled a short distance away.
“......Worn out, huh.”
Just one person climbing up caved in the ceiling. Nix wasn’t even that heavy. Guess we’d have to gut this place during the expansion.
I picked up the block I’d just kicked and examined it.
‘It’s super thick. How’d this break?’
The block was nearly half my index finger thick. It wouldn’t cut easily even if you hacked at it on purpose with a knife. And this fell through?
I checked the ceiling. The hole was just big enough for one Nix to drop through. The nearby ceiling looked intimidatingly thick too.
‘......Was that spot weakened?’
No matter how I thought about it, it shouldn’t have collapsed so easily. I’d have to rebuild or repair the warehouse later. I dropped the block and left.
Lize and Nix, who’d gone first, were waiting nearby.
‘Holy shit.’
Call me shallow, but all I could see were their chests.
Even accounting for the tall women here, Lize was on the short side, and Nix was objectively tiny, no accounting needed.
Yet both had breasts so massive that even using both hands, you couldn’t fully cup one side. Eyes were bound to gravitate there.
One wore a clinging white tank top, the other a modified shirt that practically bared her chest, amplifying the effect.
Sandwiched between two busty beauties as we returned to the training grounds, the Silver Dawn Knights and Ebony Nocturnal Knights—who’d been chatting normally—gave me looks like “Why’re you back so soon?”
Coming back quick and getting those looks felt weird.
“Hurry up and clear it out. Let’s wrap this. Move.”
I raised my voice. Lize stepped forward, rallying the Silver Dawn Knights. Both squads sluggishly obeyed their captains.
Members in white tanks and dolphin pants like their captain hopped onto wagons. Their larger sizes meant less exposure than Lize’s.
Plus, the ones next to them wore stockings, fishnets, bare legs, or tights—with bunny girl or reverse bunny outfits—making them look relatively prim.
Nix bustled about too, but honestly, not much help. Her huge chest and stubby limbs limited what she could carry.
The work finished faster than expected. Lize had the inventory list, the Silver Dawn Knights helped, and the transport routes were short.
“......Fucking tons.”
“Gifts from His Imperial Majesty, and you say that?”
Of course, the sheer volume was insane regardless.
A mountain of treasure piled in one corner of this massive training ground. Nearby, the Ebony Nocturnal Knights hustled, hauling materials to build a temporary warehouse.
“If no one hears I said that, it’s fine, right?”
“Hmm... no, but with you, Delta, I bet you’d get away with it even if caught?”
She giggled like it was a joke, but I couldn’t laugh, thinking it might actually be true.
“......We’ve taken it all for now, but thinking about it, nowhere to use it. Build more warehouses and stack it? Lize, any ideas?”
“Why ask me?”
Lize had none either. I didn’t know exact values, but this much could build a whole new castle, not just expand or repair.
Even divvying it up among the full Ebony Nocturnal Knights, giving plenty to Aurora, and to the Silver Dawn Knights, it wouldn’t all get used.
‘Wonder how much this’d sell for in the game.’
Even selling in run 1 would last to run 11 easily. Most consumables don’t fluctuate in price. Might’ve even afforded Light-Infused Holy Water smoothly.
Well, that quest’s infamous not for price.
“You want some? Take it and divvy to Silver Dawn Knights.”
“They’d take it, but no real use? Palace knights live plush even in retirement. And I don’t need to anyway—”
Lize grinned and nudged my side with her elbow.
“You’ll feed and house me anyway, right? I can just spread my legs under you obediently, so why bother?”
“Watch your word choice for real?”
I glanced around and muttered. Lize burst out laughing.
The Silver Dawn Knights looked unfazed, like they’d seen it before. The Ebony Nocturnal Knights inexplicably smiled warmly, letting it slide.
Made me feel like the weirdo.
‘Where to use this...... Ah.’
I pondered uses, then thought of a good one and turned to Lize. I’d held off since it was others’ money, but mine? No issue.
“Lize.”
“Yeah? What?”
“Wanna go catch a con artist?”
..........
“Hmmmmm......”
The pink-haired girl with long twin tails reaching her butt rolled her hot pink eyes, scanning the people ahead.
The guy was fine. Handsome, tall, great build. And rich. Personality seemed solid too—no, top-tier.
The women weren’t bad either. Both stunning, a bit short but bodies overwhelmingly killer. Especially their chests—
‘......’
Her hot pink eyes drifted to her own feet. Standing straight, you’d see past her toes to ankles—her chest so flat the only curve was barely there.
‘Filthy boob monsters.’
Grumbling, she looked away. What’s good about fat lumps? They’d just hurt your back for no reason. And sweaty, a pain to clean.
Having rationalized her loss, the pink-haired girl regrouped. Flawless people, but that made them more suspicious.
With that wealth, they could trade with top merchant guilds or inside the city anytime. Why trek to the outskirts for a street peddler like her?
Her instincts as a con artist who’d scammed countless folks screamed they had ulterior motives.
“You want to buy from me?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m a merchant, so thanks. But if it’s not rude, why? With that cash you showed, you could deal direct with guilds, not a drifter like me. Why seek me out?”
“We need something only you sell. You get what that means.”
“Something only I sell? Sorry, no clue. Big guilds sell everything a drifter does, right? Go ask them.”
She spun around. She was sure the man would stop her—he’d come this far.
She talked big, but if she only sold common stuff, she wouldn’t last as con artist street peddler. She had hidden gems, obviously.
“We know all about it, so drop the act? No need wasting time.”
She stopped.
Whatever rumors brought him, he clearly needed her goods. He was desperate, so stringing him along once more was fine.
“Act? I’m a legit merchant. Gotta seize sales chances—”
“Or do I need to call you ‘Pechi’ to get you interested?”
If the black-haired man hadn’t said one of her dozens of aliases—no, her real name—she’d have kept going for sure.